How violant was Roman entertainment compared with today?

lil miss: How violant was Roman entertainment compared with today?
I have a project on Ancient Rome sport and entertainment, and i need help with this question. Got any ideas?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Sean
Violent is spelled with an E

Answer by Crikey a Wild Ski Bum
I know the Colliseum was not nearly as violent as they made it out to be. Yes, there were deathmatch gladiator fights, but only under the reign of one emperor for 40 years. The rest of the time was things that normal people would consider entertaining today.

I don’t think they were much more violent than our own society. Look at the movies we make… Saw? Hostel? christ…

Answer by Edieee
Not very diffrent …they just didn’t have the special effects so they had to do the real deal.

Answer by Jaron K
TOPIC ONE: i dunno how do you compare watching real people be torn aport into pieces by animals, to floppin your fat *** on the couch and watching tv?

Answer by silvertabbies
A lot more violent. Gladiators in the arena fought to the death and they fought live animals like lions and tigers.

Answer by Ecclesia_Love
probably considerably worse.

the government would host what is called “bread and circuses” for the people in order to satisfy them (i.e. the people) so that they wouldn’t constantly bother the Senate with complaints and whatnot.

well, these “bread and circus” affairs consisted of food and entertainment. the government provided them with food, and the entertainment half was extremely gory and horrible.

people would gather in the Colosseum and watch two gladiators fight each other until they were within a centimeter of their lives. the audience would cheer and grin and have a brilliant time while watching this torture go on. at the end, when both were about ready to literally fall to the ground and die, they would both turn to the audience and one would have his sword ready.

The current emperor would also be at these games, and he would either give a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” signal. Thumbs up meant for the winning gladiator (the one holding the sword) to spare the guy’s life. Thumbs down mean to ram the sword into the other’s gut.

Then, the crowds would cheer like people do today at football games when their favorite team wins.

it was rather distasteful. then again, one has to look at it through the proper context; it is distasteful by today’s standards, but back then….. I suppose it was as normal as watching a football match.